Long hopes Pardew escapes lifetime ban

If not quite on the grassy knoll, then Shane Long was certainly well-placed on the grassy surface for a close-up view of the head-butt that rang around the football world.

But, never one to turn a drama into a crisis, the Irish striker reckons Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew should not suffer a lifetime ban for his extraordinary confrontation with Long’s Hull and Ireland team-mate, David Meyler.

“Yeah, because I think it is a moment of madness, that’s all it is,” says Long. “He’s done a lot for Newcastle, he’s obviously a good manager and it would be a shame for it to end on such a sour note. He has apologised, he has got his fine off the club and I’m sure the FA will do something about it and hopefully that will be that.”